How Writers Work: Finding a Process That Works for You

How Writers Work: Finding a Process That Works for You

Ralph Fletcher

Language: English

Pages: 128

ISBN: 038079702X

Format: PDF / Kindle (mobi) / ePub

The Secret of Writing

Its misleading to think of writers as special creatures, word sorcerers who possess some sort of magic knowledge hidden from everyone else. Writers are ordinary people who like to write. They feel the urge to write, and scratch that itch every chance they have. Writers get their ideas down on paper using particular strategies that seem to work for them. These strategies are available to anyone who wants to be a writer

... Revealed!

There is no secret. But there is a process. If you like to write, there are definite steps you can take to help you reach your goals. Good writing isn't forged by magic or hatched out of thin air. Good writing happens when human beings follow particular steps to take control o their sentences-to make their words do what they want them to do.

This book will show you how writers work, how you can become a writer, and how you can find a process that works for you

repetition would be annoying to a reader. This prompted him to go back and vary the way his sentences began: I love to go to my Uncle Mack’s house because there’s nobody bossing me around. Uncle Mack lets me cook popcorn or make snacks for myself whenever I want. Nobody makes me do any chores. I get to stay up as late as I want. Most mornings I sleep until noon, and the first thing I do when I wake up is blast my stereo. I realize that many students enjoy writing on a computer. Computers can

giving me ideas, but… Sigh. If only it was that easy. —Beth Croteau, fourth grade Yesterday I visited the house we are having built. The house is about halfway done: The roof is up and shingled, and two-by-four studs separate the rooms, but that’s about it. The builders had finished their work for the day. I walked alone through the unfinished rooms, breathing the delicious smell of freshly cut wood. Late afternoon sunlight streamed through the cutouts where the windows would be. The

it. When you come right down to it, you are the place where your words will grow. But most writers find it invaluable to have a regular writing place, a physical space, where they can water and weed a garden of words. TWO Finding an Idea I get my ideas from living my life widened and awake. I sit on the edge of chairs. I pay attention to wherever I am. —Drew Lamm One day my friend Karen and her husband decided to surprise their seven-year-old twins. They woke the boys before dawn and

time. Now you’re only averaging ten words per minute. Your steady writing flow has been reduced to a mere trickle. Rough drafting is the time for getting your thoughts down on the paper. Later, you can go back and make sure the spelling, punctuation, and grammar are all correct. But first you need to write words, lots of words. Let’s say I’m working on a rough draft of a story. I write the word encyclopedia, but I’m not sure how to spell it. For now I might just write enc, circle it, and

Sometimes you can only find your process through trial and error. If you’re like me, your writing process will probably be a messy one. HOW TO USE THIS BOOK While every writer is different, I believe we can learn a lot from exploring the various ways writers work. But here’s the problem: We write like we read—in private. The process used by most writers is hidden from view. In this book we’re going to uncloak that process and make it visible. We’re going to take a close look at how writers